Liquid electrophotographic printing, also referred to as liquid electrostatic printing, uses liquid toner to form images on a print medium. A liquid electrophotographic printer may use digitally controlled lasers to create a latent image in the charged surface of an imaging element such as a photo imaging plate (PIP). In this process, a uniform static electric charge is applied to the photo imaging plate and the lasers dissipate charge in certain areas creating the latent image in the form of an invisible electrostatic charge pattern conforming to one colour separation of the image to be printed. An electrically charged printing substance, in the form of liquid toner, is then applied and attracted to the partially-charged surface of the photo imaging plate, recreating a separation of the image.
In some liquid electrophotographic printers, a transfer member, such as an intermediate transfer member (ITM) is used to transfer developed liquid toner to a print medium. For example, a developed image, comprising liquid toner aligned according to a latent image, may be transferred from the photo imaging plate to a transfer blanket of the intermediate transfer member. From the intermediate transfer member, the toner is transferred to a substrate, which is placed into contact with the transfer blanket.